Mexican cuisine is one of the three UNESCO-recognized food cultures in the world (alongside French and Mediterranean), a sophisticated, ancient culinary tradition that far transcends the "Tex-Mex" most English-speaking countries know. The foundation is chilies, corn, and technique — and understanding them opens a world of extraordinary flavor.
The Chili Is Everything
Mexican cooking is built on a vocabulary of chilies, each with distinct flavor and heat levels. Learning a few is the most important step:
- Ancho: Dried poblano — mild, with deep fruit and chocolate notes. The base of many sauces and moles.
- Guajillo: Bright red, tangy, slightly hot — the most widely used chili in Mexican cooking. Excellent for red sauces and moles.
- Pasilla: Mild, earthy, with a hint of licorice. Used with ancho and mulato in classic mole negro.
- Chipotle (smoked jalapeño): Smoky heat — in adobo sauce. Transforms soups, meats, sauces.
- Árbol: Very hot, thin, bright orange-red. Used for heat in salsas.
- Serrano and jalapeño: Fresh, bright heat — foundation of most fresh salsas.
Preparing Dried Chilies
Toast dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat — press with a spatula, 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Don't let them burn — burnt chilies will turn bitter. Then soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Remove stems and seeds (less seeds = less heat). Blend soaking liquid with the rehydrated chilies for a deeply flavored paste.
The Key Techniques
Dry toasting: Many recipes begin with dry-toasting whole spices, tomatoes, or chilies in a comal (flat griddle) or cast iron pan. This develops complexity that oil-sautéed versions cannot match.
Charring: Onions and tomatoes are frequently charred directly over flame or under the broiler until blackened in spots. This adds depth, smokiness, and bitterness that balances rich sauces.
Frying in fat: Many Mexican sauces are finished by frying the blended sauce in a small amount of hot lard or oil — a technique called "sazonado" that develops flavor and thickens the sauce.
Essential Dishes to Learn
- Salsa roja: Charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, and árbol chilies — the foundation of everything
- Guacamole: Fresh, made to order — lime, salt, cilantro, jalapeño
- Refried beans: Slow-cooked beans mashed and fried in lard — a completely different product from the canned version
- Chicken in adobo: Chicken braised in a sauce of rehydrated dried chilies — deeply flavored, mildly spiced
- Tamales: Masa stuffed with filling, wrapped in corn husks and steamed — labor intensive but extraordinary
💡 Mexican Cooking Tips
- Toast and rehydrate dried chilies — this is not optional. Powdered substitutes produce inferior results.
- Lard produces the most authentic flavor for many traditional dishes — vegetable shortening is a reasonable substitute
- Use proper masa (nixtamalized corn flour) for tortillas and tamales — not all-purpose flour or cornmeal
- Fresh herbs (especially fresh cilantro) are always added raw at the end — never cooked
- Acid balance is critical — most dishes need lime juice to brighten and balance